Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel has kept an eye on his friend and former teammate and isn't the least surprised to see how Dylan Larkin has thrived.

Larkin was named rookie of the month for November on the strength of seven goals and three assists in 13 games. That news greeted him as he started his Tuesday. By day's end, he was celebrating a 5-4 shoot-out victory at Joe Louis Arena.

Larkin, who leads the Wings with 10 goals, had five shots on net. His success is what Eichel expected.

"I've been following him," Eichel said. "He is a good friend of mine. He is having a great year. I am not surprised at all. You see how good of a shot he has and how fast he is and how he can make plays at top speed. You guys are getting used to it -- I've seen it for years."

Eichel and Larkin, both 19, became friends three years ago, when they were teammates at the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. In 2014, they won the title at the world junior championship. Last spring, they were roommates at the world championship.

"It was a fun time," Larkin said. "He was better, so he pushed me to be better. It was cool to see him every day. We competed every day at the NTDP, always battling in practice. But shared a laugh off the ice, always."

The Sabres drafted Eichel second overall this past summer. The Wings drafted Larkin 15th overall in 2014. Tonight marks their first meeting at the NHL level.

"Should be nice," Eichel said. "Two rookies, came through similar paths at the NTDP together, played together, went to college, went to world championships together."

Eichel has eight goals and 12 points after 24 games.

Each player is a franchise building block. As impressive as Larkin's offensive output has been, his drive to dominate doesn't stop there. "With Dylan, as a young player, one of our responsibilities is to help him get better," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "One of those areas is away from the puck, making sure he stops on puck. He is very conscious of it. He wants to be a great all-around player. He doesn't want to cheat for offense; he wants to do it right."

Given that they play in the same division, the Larkin-Eichel matchup should only grow stronger. That'd be great, says Detroit's bench boss.

"What I like is, I like they are both U.S. guys," Blashill said. "I think it is great for the game in the U.S."